Best Potential Suitor For Cousins?
Whether or not the Kings' long-term plans involve DeMarcus Cousins, the team will eventually have to address the topic. Last season, just a few days after then-head coach Paul Westphal had barred Cousins from being with the team, Westphal had been fired in what some believed was management's way of resolving the issue of them not getting along. After a recent clash with current coach Keith Smart and a suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, one could only wonder how Sacramento will try to handle this situation moving forward. Also, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com also points out that Cousins' decision to sever ties with agent John Grieg poses some significance, as Grieg was known to be somewhat of a good buffer between Cousins and Smart (Twitter link).
Similar to how Javale McGee and Andray Blatche have demonstrated in their respective post-Wizards careers, a change in scenery can possibly be beneficial for a young player who may not be in a situation that fits him best. In the event that the Kings were looking for a deal, which team would be the best suitor for Cousins?
Best Potential Trade Partner For Kings?
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Celtics 38% (659)
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Other 27% (480)
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Spurs 14% (242)
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Raptors 11% (198)
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Magic 10% (173)
Total votes: 1,752
Odds & Ends: Cousins, Thunder, Vesely, Morris
In addtion to Steve Nash's Lakers debut tonight, another major talking point in the Pacific Division involves the Kings' suspension of DeMarcus Cousins. According to Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today, a source close the team's plans says that the former Kentucky big man isn't untouchable. Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM feels that Sacramento and the Magic would benefit by exploring trade talks, as both have pieces that could help the other side (Twitter link). Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops also weighed in, offering four different scenarios in which the Kings could deal the fourth-year player. With that aside, here are some of the other notable stories we're hearing from the NBA this evening:
- Jim Eichenhoffer of Hornets.com tweets that Eric Gordon has been cleared for full contact practice.
- Jenni Carlson of NewsOK believes that dealing James Harden to Houston has made the Thunder a better and more fluid team, pointing to the significant increase in assist numbers by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
- Jan Vesely has yet to earn a consistent role during a turbulent start to his second-year campaign with the struggling Wizards, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “It’s tough, especially when the team is losing,” Vesely said of his current role. “Everybody try to stay positive but sometimes it’s hard. I try to practice everyday, work on my game and stay ready for my chance to play.”
- Darius Morris may not be ready for a starting job, but Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times writes about how the Lakers' sophomore guard has found a significant role in Mike D'Antoni's rotation (Sulia link).
- Two years ago and just months removed from "The Decision", Jazz guard Mo Williams (then with Cleveland) and Heat superstar LeBron James may not have necessarily been on each other's holiday greetings list. Today, Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune notes how the two former teammates had nothing but glowing remarks to say about each other heading into tonight's matchup between Utah and Miami.
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Kobe, Marshall
The first-place Clippers won a franchise-record 12th straight game last night, blasting the Kings, but tonight all eyes will be on the Pacific Division's second- and third-place teams, as the Warriors play host to the Lakers, who carry a modest three-game winning streak into the contest. They may also have Steve Nash, whose return will go a long way toward deciding whether the team will trade Pau Gasol this year. I looked at Gasol's trade candidacy earlier, and now here's more from around the Pacific.
- The Kings announced that they have suspended DeMarcus Cousins for an indefinite period of time because of his "unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team." The Kings told him not to come out of the locker room for the second half last night after he engaged in a verbal altercation with coach Keith Smart. Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com responded to a question of whether the team would look to deal away the troubled center, speculating that Cousins' trade value is limited right now (Twitter link). Tom Ziller of SB Nation and TNT's David Aldridge counter that his trade value is still too high for the Kings to think about a swap (Twitter links).
- T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times answers recent criticism of Kobe Bryant, arguing that the 12-14 Lakers would be in even worse shape if they didn't have the league's leading scorer.
- Bakersfield Jam head coach Will Voigt shared his thoughts with Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside on some of the NBA players sent down to the team this season, including Suns rookie point guard Kendall Marshall.
Stein On Lakers, Evans, Holiday, Stoudemire
Marc Stein of ESPN.com unveils his award winners for the first third of the NBA season, splitting the MVP award between the two conferences, with Carmelo Anthony besting LeBron James for the Eastern Conference honor and Kevin Durant getting the nod for the West. As usual, the ESPN scribe also checks in with a few rumors from around the league in his Weekend Dime, and we'll round them up here.
- The Lakers gave strong consideration to signing Delonte West, but the desire for stability, which has been in short supply for L.A. this season, kept them from doing so, a source tells Stein. The Lakers remain in the market for a point guard, but they're in no rush to do so, preferring to wait and see how the team looks with a healthy Steve Nash.
- Tyreke Evans wasn't rattled when he didn't receive a contract extension from the Kings, and he's likewise unfazed by his inclusion in trade rumors this season. "I'm just here to play basketball," Evans said. "If I get traded, that's what happens."
- Unlike Evans, Jrue Holiday did get an extension on his rookie deal, and while he believes the new deal took some pressure off of him, he doesn't think it's had any effect on his play. He's been thrust into a leadership role with Andrew Bynum out, and he's anxious to see how he and the big man fit together on the Sixers. "More so than curious, I'm just excited," Holiday said. "I'm excited for him to finally play, and I'd love to play with him. (But) I think the season at hand is the most important thing."
- Earlier today we heard the Knicks shopped Amare Stoudemire over the summer and found no takers. A source tells Stein that Stoudemire has come to grips with his reduced value and leverage, and understands that when he returns, he has to fit into whatever role coach Mike Woodson has for him.
Wolves Rumors: Redick, Williams, Love, Varejao
Ever since the Wolves released Josh Howard following news of his ACL tear yesterday, we've heard plenty about potential replacements, as a roster spot on a team contending for a playoff spot has many NBA hopefuls salivating at the opportunity. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN has provided many of the updates via Twitter, and he's collected those rumors along with plenty of other Wolves-related scuttlebutt in his latest piece. We'll round up the highlights here.
- Wolfson earlier today mentioned former Sonic Mickael Gelabale as one of the players reaching out to the Wolves about the open roster spot, and Gelabale's agent has contacted all 30 teams about a return to the NBA for his client, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Charania also hears that the Wolves are unlikely to sign any wing player until after Christmas.
Earlier updates:
- Minnesota would be "heavily" in the mix for J.J. Redick if the Magic decide to put him on the market. Derrick Williams' name has come up in connection with Redick in the past, but it'll take more than Williams to get a deal done, Wolfson hears. Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game listed the Wolves among a handful of likely trade partners earlier this week.
- Kevin Love made a few hearts jump in Minnesota earlier this month when he questioned his future with the franchise, but according to Wolfson, no teams have called the Wolves' front office to ask about Love's availability.
- Anderson Varejao is still "very much on the Wolves' trade radar," but Tyreke Evans is not, Wolfson writes.
- The Wolves aren't thinking of signing Chris Douglas-Roberts, who's been the second-leading scorer in the D-League this season at 22.7 points per game after the Mavericks waived him at the end of training camp.
- Though Howard's minimum-salary contract was non-guaranteed, he'll recoup some money from an insurance policy.
- The Wolves own the draft rights to Serbian power forward Nemanja Bjelica, and the Wolves are entertaining the possibility of bringing him to the NBA next season. Wolfson provides a scouting report from an executive who likes his offense better than his defense.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Amare, Celtics, Garnett
Items out of the Atlantic Division..
- Some have wondered how Amare Stoudemire will fit in with the Knicks' future, but a team source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that the club brought the Erie Bayhawks to New York specifically to work out with the forward. That gesture is a sign that the Knicks are committed to Stoudemire long term in the eyes of Berman. Earlier today, we learned that the Knicks were practically looking to give Stoudemire away for free over the summer.
- Coach Mike Woodson doesn't seem to think that today's report will have an effect on Stoudemire, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. "Amare is a big piece of the New York Knicks and that's why he's still here," said the coach.
- Jim Cavan of the New York Times writes that a lower turnover rate has been a key to the Knicks' success this season.
- The Celtics need a big man who will help give Kevin Garnett and Chris Wilcox help down low, writes Rich Levine of CSNNE.com. Levine suggests that the C's can package Courtney Lee and Fab Melo for Jason Thompson of the Kings or the Blazers' J.J. Hickson.
- If the Celtics don’t show improvement on the defensive end before the trade deadline, expect team president Danny Ainge to find better complementary pieces for Garnett, writes Dan Guttenplan of WEEI.com.
- Louis Williams reflects on his years with the 76ers as he prepares to face his former team as a member of the Hawks.
- Jason Kidd believes that Deron Williams is struggling with his shooting, which is to blame for his poor recent play, and not Nets coach Avery Johnson.
Western Rumors: Bell, Gordon, Kings
- Raja Bell is hopeful that he's nearing the end of the standoff he and the Jazz have been engaged in for months over the prospect of buyout, the veteran guard told Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. Still, the team is giving no indication the impasse is close to resolution.
- There's no official timetable for the return of Eric Gordon, who's been rehabbing his troublesome right knee, but the Hornets shooting guard says he's "more than 90 percent sure" he'll play before New Year's Day, as John Reid of The Times-Picayune details.
- Many of the Kings are frustrated with coach Keith Smart over his benching of point guard Isaiah Thomas, according to Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com, who gives sharp criticism of the team's signing of Aaron Brooks, Thomas' replacement in the starting lineup.
- Rockets rookie Donatas Motiejunas was appreciative of the playing time he received during this weekend's D-League assignment, notes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. "When you step on the court, you have confidence," he said. "Sitting on the bench for a longer time kills your confidence. At least (in the D-League) you get a feeling for the game."
- Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld looks at how the improvement of Derrick Favors has created a dilemma in the frontcourt for the Jazz.
- Kenneth Faried said the Blazers told him they would draft him 21st overall in 2011, and when they passed him over, allowing the Nuggets to pounce at pick No. 22, the power forward from Morehead State was upset with Portland, as he explained to The Oregonian's Jason Quick. "I ain’t going to lie to you: I don’t like them," Faried said. "I think it’s disrespectful what they did, got my hopes up for nothing. Every time we play them, it’s a little extra motivation for me to come out and show them what they missed."
D-League Moves: White, Copeland, Leuer
We’ll keep track of all the day’s D-League moves right here. As always, you can reference the season’s comings and goings with this post.
- The Knicks have assigned James White and Chris Copeland to the Erie BayHawks of the D-League for a second time this week, tweets Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal. The pair of forwards went to Erie on Tuesday and were called back to New York yesterday in time for both to appear in the Knicks‘ victory over the Nets. Neither played in a game for the BayHawks, and the assignments are simply a measure to get the players more practice time, as Schlosser points out.
- The Cavaliers have recalled Jon Leuer from the D-League, the team announced. Leuer has appeared in six games, all starts, for the Canton Charge since he was assigned to the club two weeks ago. The 6’10” power forward notched 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game and shot 54.5% during his D-League stint.
- Tyler Honeycutt was on the active list for the Kings in their win against the Warriors last night in his first game since returning from the league’s longest D-League stint of the season. Honeycutt was sent down November 7th, the first time an NBA player was assigned to a D-League squad in 2012/13. The 6’8″ small forward averaged 10.9 points and 9.6 rebounds in seven games with the Reno Big Horns.
Eastern Rumors: Jamison, Celtics, D-Will, Wall
Just three games separate the 10th-place Magic from the fourth-place Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings, so it could be quite a scramble for the last few playoff spots. In the meantime, here's what's making news for Eastern teams.
- Antawn Jamison called Bobcats basketball president Rod Higgins when he chose a one-year deal with the Lakers over signing with the Cats this summer, and the veteran power forward, who played his high school ball in the Queen City, won't rule out a return to Charlotte. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer provides detail. "If they still want me back home, I’d sure listen." he said. "I have another couple of years in this body. If they want me, I’d have no reservations about putting on a Bobcats uniform."
- As part of a chat that also touches on several draft prospects, Chad Ford of ESPN.com says the Celtics are high on Tyreke Evans, though they're not as enamored with the fourth-year guard as they were some time ago, when they were willing to trade Rajon Rondo for him. Ford isn't sure the C's possess what the Kings would want in a swap for their soon-to-be restricted free agent.
- The Celtics made moves in the offseason to improve their depth, but advanced statistics show they're not getting much production from anyone other than Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, as Gary Dzen of the Boston Globe highlights.
- Deron Williams blamed the media for putting too much credence into his comparison of the Nets' offense to the motion sets he ran with the Jazz, while Brooklyn coach Avery Johnson said he doesn't take Williams' comments personally. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News has the story.
- With John Wall believing his chances of returning to play soon are 50-50, Deron Snyder of The Washington Times argues the Wizards should just shut him down for the season if he isn't back in a month. That would give him ample time to heal, and there isn't much the Wizards can accomplish this season with or without him, Snyder believes.
Odds & Ends: Kings, Van Gundy, Howard, Louisville
The Kings, currently 7-17, will be a team to watch as the season progresses. Yesterday, there were some contradictory reports as to whether the team would deal Tyreke Evans, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason. Earlier this month, we heard that DeMarcus Cousins, despite his third-year struggles, will not be made available. Asked about the possibility of the Celtics acquiring Evans and/or Cousins today, CSNNE's A. Sherrod Blakely tweeted that while the talented duo isn't yet available, that will likely change.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the League:
- Stan Van Gundy talks about his grievances with commissioner David Stern, his disagreements with the Magic front office, and his continued communication with Dwight Howard, among other topics, with Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca on Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast.
- Speaking of Howard, the Lakers center will be a free agent next summer. But HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler gave an emphatic "no" when asked on Twitter whether Howard would entertain a return to the Magic.
- Writing for Forbes, Darren Heitner says that although the idea has initially been met with skepticism, Louisville should be near the top of the list for the next city to get an NBA team. Using the highly profitable University of Louisville basketball program as an example, Heitner says that Louisville is a "basketball city in a basketball state."